Vote the Environment!

HELP PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR COMMUNITIES BY VOTING NO ON PROPOSITION 301!

Proposition 301 was referred to the ballot by the Arizona Legislature in order to raid a voter-protected fund for land conservation and sweep it into the General Fund, where the Legislature will determine how it is used – and you can bet it will not be for land conservation.

The Land Conservation Fund was established by the voters of Arizona in 1998 when we approved the "Growing Smarter Act." The Land Conservation Fund provides a match for communities to acquire State Trust Lands for conservation, including lands that are part of Pima County’s Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, the Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve, the Flagstaff Open Space Plan, lands near Prescott and more.

By diverting dollars ($71.5 million), the Arizona Legislature will hurt both conservation efforts and education as dollars from the Land Conservation Fund benefit the Education Trust Fund which primarily benefits public education.

Arizona devotes limited dollars to conservation overall, and the Arizona State Legislature has already raided most of the funds that did not enjoy the protection of voters. One need look no further than our Arizona State Parks to see how little this Legislature values conservation. Don’t let your Legislature do more harm to the Arizona we value by sweeping these funds.

Proposition 109 will undermine the current system of wildlife management in Arizona and give science a backseat to politics. This is just one more bad idea brought to us by the Arizona Legislature, one of the most dysfunctional legislatures in recent history.

Hunting, fishing, and harvesting of wildlife will no longer be considered privileges if Proposition 109 passes but, instead, will be included in the basic Declaration of Rights in the Arizona Constitution along with true rights such as due process of law, right of petition and assembly, freedom of speech and press, and religious freedom, among many other important rights.

The Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection is not anti-hunting, but this measure goes too far. Proposition 109 is about the Legislature trying to grab more power, not about doing anything positive for wildlife. It will have a negative impact on wildlife and wildlife management in Arizona by making it more difficult to regulate the take of wildlife and by making harvesting of wildlife “a preferred method” of management, irrespective of the impacts on the wildlife or the wildlife habitat.

Wildlife belongs to all Arizona citizens – hunters and non-hunters, anglers and non-anglers, those who wildlife watch and those who don’t, this as well as the next generation. Wildlife is held in trust by the State of Arizona for the public’s benefit. Establishing a constitutional right to hunt and fish violates that basic trust responsibility and puts at risk a system of wildlife management that has served Arizona well since 1929. We strongly urge you to vote “no” on Proposition 109. For more information: NoOn109.com

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YES on Proposition 110

Support Open and Accountable State Trust Land Exchanges

Proposition 110, for the first time, provides a way to exchange state trust land for federal lands that includes accountability and transparency. The exchange process will have an open and public process that identifies all lands that will be exchanged up front, requires two land appraisals, includes an analysis of the impacts, and requires two public meetings. All of this must happen prior to any exchange moving forward. This helps limit backroom deals that have been a problem with some past exchanges.

Each land exchange must also go to the voters, so the voters have the final say and provide a screen for ensuring that an exchange is truly in the public’s interests. This will also help limit the number of exchange proposals.

Exchanges can only be for two purposes including providing for the proper management, protection, and public use of state lands or for the protection of military facilities.

This proposition includes transparency and accountability to ensure that land exchanges are in the best interest of the trust and the larger public. We urge your support of Proposition 110. For more info: VoteYeson110.com.

We all know the adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” A recently released Vox video about wildlife crossings demonstrates this. Grab a cup of coffee and take a look at this great introductory video about wildlife crossings, why they are so important, why we should build many more, and how they are cost-effective […]

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The Coalition is a fiscally sponsored project of Sky Island Alliance, a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions for the purposes of the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.